Scott Elsass and Brandon Videtich added a doubles win last Saturday against Denver.

Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

Courtesy: NU Athletic Communications

03/05/2013

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska mens tennis team (7-3) will head to Evanston, ILL. for their first match against a Big Ten opponent. The Huskers will play No. 18 Northwestern at noon on Saturday, March 9. The Huskers will be attempting their seventh straight win, and fifth win over a ranked team.

Last week the Huskers knocked off Denver 4-1. At the No. 1 spot, Andre Stenger and Marc Herrmann played Denver's Jens Vorkefeld and Max Krammer, but did not finish. The score was 7-5 before the match was called. At the No. 2 spot Bradford Zitsch and Dusty Boyer defeated the Pioneers' Fabio Biasion and Henry Craig 8-4. The next win came from Brandon Videtich and Scott Elsass, as they beat Luke Manley and Frederick Bjorne 8-1.

"Glad to get this win today, as it was much tougher than it looked on paper," Coach Kerry McDermott said. "We went into doubles up 2-0 because they have some injuries in their lineup. We got defaults at No. 5 and No. 6 singles. We played very good doubles and got impressive and decisive wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. We were up a break at No. 1 when the doubles point got clinched."

The Huskers got two defaults due to injured players from Denver. The singles victory that clinched the match was Eric Sock's win over Bjorne 6-3, 6-0.

"There was tremendous pressure to get only one more singles match, and Denver had nothing to lose and everything to gain," McDermott said. "Eric Sock came out strong and closed the coffin for a 6-3, 6-0 victory to seal the match. It was our first match outside since October, so that made it even nicer to come away with the win. We will use this match as a confidence booster, and get ready for our first Big Ten match next week at Northwestern."

Nebraska Rising in the National Rankings

The Huskers started off their spring season at the No. 74. After falling at No. 36 Louisville, the Huskers slipped out of the rankings. After upsetting 3 ranked teams the Huskers were back in the rankings at the No. 59 spot. Since then they have not stopped rising. Last week they were ranked No. 40. This week was no exception, with their new ranking at No. 33.

Following this weeks play, the Huskers will be back on the road. This time they will participate in the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic. It will be held in Montgomery, Ala. Matches will begin on Friday, March 15, and will conclude Sunday, March 17.